One shots: Kiba and Hinata
by I-Heart-Hatake-Kakashi
Summary: SHOT 10: "How long have you liked me?"
1. Happy Birthday Hinata

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Naruto

**A/N**: First off, let me just say (if by some reason the title didn't give it away), this is a Kiba/Hinata pairing. I'm not exactly opposed to Hinata and Naruto, or any other pairings with these characters for that matter (except maybe Hinata and Shino…two quiet people just doesn't work for me… but to each his own)… anyway, I LOVE Kiba/Hinata, therefore that's the couple I chose to do this collection of one-shot stories on, so… if you don't like the pairing, you don't have to read it.

_**DEDICATION**_ - This story is dedicated to **Laney**. Hope you like the story ;)

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY HINATA  
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December 27. Another year ending, another year older. Anyone else would probably be thrilled that it was their birthday, but not Hinata. Her birthday meant that for an entire day everyone's attention would be focused on her, and she never liked being the center of attention. Anytime that she was, usually meant that someone was going to tell her what a disappointment she had turned out to be. Most years she would make it through the day by finding something else to do and hoping everyone would just forget. This year, however, would not be as easy. Her father had decided that because she was turning 18, and thus an adult, as the future clan leader, the Hyuga's were obligated to throw her a birthday celebration.

"Why?" Hinata quietly moaned. _Why couldn't it just be any other day?_

"Hey Hinata!" a loud cheerful voice called out to her from behind.

Hinata turned to see her teammate and his faithful companion coming up the small dirt path she had used only moments earlier.

"H-hello K-Kiba-kun." Hinata softly stuttered. Even at 18, she was still unable to completely remove the speech impediment she'd had since her childhood.

"We thought we'd find you here." Kiba grinned widely.

_Arf arf._ The giant white dog beside the Inuzuka barked, as if agreeing with it's master.

"D-did you need something K-Kiba-kun?" Hinata asked.

"Nah." He shook his messy hair violently, "Just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, that's all." Kiba replied, smiling wide enough to show all his teeth.

"T-thank you." Hinata blushed lightly.

"So, why are you out here anyway?" Kiba asked as he and Akamaru moved to sit next to Hinata on the fallen log resting in front of the lake she liked to frequent. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for your big party?"

"Hai." Hinata bowed her head and began nervously playing with her fingers.

She _**had **_been getting ready, and had even offered to help, but her father had found her and began berating her, saying that a proper heiress should not be doing servant's work, nor should she be stuttering when talking to the help. Hashi had instructed that she leave the preparations for the servants to do, and that she should instead focus on making herself presentable and trying not to shame the Hyuga name.

Sensing that something was wrong, Kiba attempted to lift his friends spirits by changing the subject, "So what time do you have to be home?" he asked.

"Ano?" Hinata turned to face the young man curiously.

"I just want to know how long I can steal you away before you've got to get to your party." Kiba replied.

He knew the reasons Hinata disliked her birthday, despite the fact that she had never told him. It broke his heart to see the woman he had come to love, though had as of yet been unable to tell, saddened over something that should be a happy occasion. Having picked up her sent earlier, and realizing that she was not in the Hyuga compound, he decided to take it upon himself to make THIS birthday something she would always remember fondly.

"O-oh well, the party begins at six." Hinata informed him.

"That's perfect!" Kiba replied, "That means we've still got a good seven hours before you have to get back." he added, looking down at his watching and confirming the time.

"Ano…" Hinata began nervously.

"Yeah?" Kiba encouraged her to go on.

"More like five." Hinata replied, "I should get back with enough time to get ready." she explained.

"Right." Kiba nodded, "Still, plenty of time." he smiled, standing up from his seat on the log.

"Time?" Hinata looked confused.

"Yeah, we're going to celebrate your birthday the proper way." Kiba smiled, offering the blue haired kunoichi his hand.

"Proper?" she repeated, looking up at him questioningly.

"Yup." Kiba nodded, "We're going to do what YOU want to do." With that, the young shinobi took hold of the girl's hand and pulled her up.

Akamaru looked eager to go along with his master's plan, as he bounced over to where the two were standing. Kiba quickly placed his hands around Hinata's waist and hoisted her up onto Akamaru's back, then jumped on behind her.

"K-Kiba-kun?" Hinata sounded unsure. She had ridden on Akamaru's back many times before, but she had never been the one steering the giant dog. Hinata felt unsure as to whether she would be able to handle so much.

"Don't worry about it." Kiba replied as he adjusted himself behind her. "Akamaru trust's you, and so do I . You'll be fine." he smiled broadly to encourage the girl. "Now tell him where you want to go."

"H-hai." she nodded and began thinking it over. "A-ano…" she bit her lower lip nervously.

"What is it Hinata?" Kiba asked.

"I-I'm not sure where to go." Hinata confessed.

"Huh." Kiba scrounged his mouth and squinted his eyes as he thought about it a moment. "I know!" he exclaimed. "Akamaru, take us to our secret spot." he ordered.

In break-neck speed, Akamaru took off in the direction to which he was instructed. Hinata clung on to the large nin-dog's fur, but found it far more difficult to be riding up front then it usually was when she was holding on to Kiba's back. Sensing her uneasiness, Kiba quickly circled his arms around her, wrapping his left arm around her waist as he moved his right arm to cover hers and help her guide Akamaru.

The three rode swiftly through the backwoods surrounding Konoha until they reached the area Kiba had suggested. It was a fairly difficult place to get to, and, as far as Kiba was aware, no one in the village knew of it's existence. Years earlier, on one of their many walks through the forest, Kiba and Akamaru had stumbled upon the spot. It had been a mesmerizing sight, and the two had instantly fallen in love with the place, vowing never to tell anyone else about it; that was… until now.

As they approached a break in the trees, Kiba quickly moved his right hand to cover Hinata's eyes.

"Kiba-kun?" Hinata asked questioningly.

"Trust me." Kiba whispered, "It's a surprise. You're going to love it." he assured her.

"Okay." She nodded, having complete faith in her friend.

"Don't peek." he instructed.

Coming to a complete stop, Kiba jumped off of Akamaru's back, then turned and helped Hinata down, all the while making sure she kept her eyes closed. Taking hold of her small hand in his, the pair began walking in the direction of the sound of rushing water. Despite having the ability to see through any solid object, Hinata kept her word and resisted the urge to peek. She could feel a spray of mist rising to her face as they neared the source of running water.

"Okay." Kiba's voice called out as they came to a complete stop. "Open your eyes." he softly directed.

Taking in a deep breath, Hinata did as she was instructed and opened both eyes cautiously. The sight before her left her in completely awe, that upon opening her eyes she immediately lost the breath she had only moments earlier taken in.

Stretched out before the pair was the most magnificent waterfall Hinata had every seen. It seemed almost surreal; surrounded by lush greenery, and various flower's Hinata had never before seen. The water was crystal clear, shimmering in the sunlight; rainbow colors bouncing through each water droplet.

"K-ki.. she began, but was unable to continue.

"I know." Kiba grinned widely. "it is pretty amazing isn't it?"

Unable to speak, Hinata merely nodded her head in agreement.

"Come on." He took her hand and began walking down a small path towards the mouth of the waterfall. "Akamaru and I found this place a few years ago." he told her as they reached water level. "There's a cave in the back big enough to walk through." he gestured to a nearly invisible opening a few yards away.

"K-Kiba-kun…" Hinata began; once more regaining the ability to form words.

"Yeah?" Kiba turned to face his friend and secret crush.

"You called this your secret spot." She began, "Why did you bring me here?"

"Well," He paused a minute, "I thought you might like it." he said matter-of-factly.

Looking up into his feral eyes, she got up onto her tip-toes and planted a small kiss on one of the boy's fang marked cheeks. "Thank you Kiba-kun." Hinata smiled sweetly.

He smiled back at the girl, attempting to suppress the blush that was threatening to overcome him. "You're welcome." he replied.

The two sat down side by side on the water's edge, watching as the strong current crashed down upon the water below.

"So what do you want to name this place?" Kiba asked.

"Huh?" Hinata looked at him uncertain.

"Well Akamaru and I have been coming here for a while now, but we never really gave this place a proper name." he explained, "Why don't you do the honors?"

"Really?" Hinata stared in surprise; he only nodded to show her he was serious. "Well… How about, Kouseki falls." she suggested. (1)

"Kouseki falls." he repeated. "I like it. Kouseki falls… our secret spot."

"Our secret spot." she sighed, leaning into Kiba's shoulder.

"Happy Birthday Hinata." Kiba whispered before planting a chaste kiss on the girl's forehead.

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THE END  
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(1) Kouseki means Crystal

**Author's note**: Originally this was going to be about the party that the Hyuga's were going to throw for Hinata's birthday… I had this whole thing with Naruto planned out, but somehow this ended up happening… I don't know though, I liked it. It wasn't too overtly Kiba.x.Hinata-ish, but as the first in a collection, I don't think it's too bad.

I love Kiba and Hinata, but honestly my favorite pairing is Neji and Tenten, so chances are pretty good I won't be updating this one as regularly as my Neji.x.Ten collection; just the same, I'll probably come up with a Kiba.x.Hina one-shot from time to time. I'm definitely going to be using the original plot line I had thought up for this one (minus the party stuff) later on in another chapter, but… please do not be surprised if I don't update this one as regularly as I do my other one-shot collection…

**Please REVIEW :D**


	2. On The Edge

**`Disclaimer:** Naruto and all Naruto related stuff is (c) Masashi Kishimoto. All OCs and original storyline/plot/imagination (c) of ME!!!!!

**A/N**: SORRY!!!... I know, it took me over a year to update... but I *did* say I wouldn't be updating this one as much as my other collections.. anyway... I started writing this story for V-day, BEFORE chapter 437 of the manga came out.. after it came out though, I kind of got discouraged about finishing this oneshot, but I figured I'd already put in a lot of work into the beginning, so I might as well… hope you all like it ;)

_**THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!!!**_

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**_**ON THE EDGE  
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She hated him.

Hinata hated him; Kiba was sure of it.

And why wouldn't she? After what he did… Even Kiba didn't believe he deserved to be forgiven: not after…

_.:..:..:..:..:.:..:..:..FLASHBACK..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:._

"_He doesn't love you!" The frustrated Inuzuka thoughtlessly yelled at the timid blue-haired heiress._

_Hurting her was the last thing Kiba ever wanted to do. But as he watched her standing at the edge of the clearing where their team usually practiced, he could see the tears beginning to form in Hinata's lavender eyes; and it tore at his heart. _

_So great was his desire to cross the short distance between them, and wrap his arms around her. To take back the words he had just carelessly spat out. Words said out of anger and frustration. Kiba wished he could take them back. That he had been smart enough to have kept them to himself, like he had for so many years already. But after once more running into the blue-haired kunoichi, standing in the forest, with tears in her beautiful eyes; certain that he knew the cause of them (as it was, after all, the same reason she had always cried for since their genin days), something inside him snapped. Kiba just couldn't stop himself. And though he had said the worst thing imaginable, and wished he could take it back…Deep down, he knew he needed to say it. _

_And she needed to hear it…_

_Naruto didn't love her. He loved Sakura. And no amount of waiting for him to open his eyes, and see the true jewel that hid before him, would ever change that fact. He did not love her, and he was never going to love her. And it killed Kiba to see how much pain that caused Hinata to know that her love went unreciprocated. _

_Kiba understood this pain better than anyone; because he too had been suffering from an unrequited love for many years…_

_He had hoped that time would prove his feelings to be nothing more than a childish infatuation. But in fact, quite the opposite had occurred. Instead of his feelings diminishing with time, they grew stronger and stronger each passing day, until he couldn't stand the sight of seeing the woman he loved crying over another man…_

"_K-Kiba-kun…" Hinata tearfully began._

"_No." Kiba raised his hand up to indicate for her not to continue. "Let me finish." He inhaled deeply; trying to steady his voice, and also trying to see if he could figure out just exactly how to say what he was going to say. "Naruto's an idiot." He began; aware that it probably wasn't the best tactic to insult the man she loved, but unable to form any other less insulting way of describing the blond shinobi. "He's an idiot for not realizing…" He stopped himself before he revealed more than necessary. "He's an idiot who doesn't deserve your tears." _

"_You're wrong-" The girl began protesting._

_Hearing her say that, infuriated him. After all the tears Naruto had caused the girl, Kiba was furious that she would still so easily defend the blond knucklehead. _

"_Fine." Kiba heatedly grunted. He'd had enough. "Fine." Begrudgingly, he turned away from her. "If that's what you want… I won't say anything else." He sighed; defeated before he'd even begun. "Just know that I refuse to stand by you like this any longer."_

_And with those final words, Kiba quickly made his escape from the forest clearing where the two teammates had been heatedly speaking._

_.:..:..:..:..:..:..:..END FLASHBACK.:..:..:..:..:..:..:.._

Five days had passed since then. And Kiba had yet to hear from the kunoichi again. He knew she had been avoiding him. She didn't want to see him any more; and he couldn't blame her. His words had been harsh and insensitive, but they had been the truth.

"Haah." Kiba sighed; throwing his head back onto the tree standing behind him. "I'm such an idiot." He dejectedly moaned.

"Yes you are." A deep monotone voice coming from behind the tree, agreed.

"Grrr." Kiba growled looking up at the man walking over toward him from behind the tree. A little unnerved that he had not sensed nor smelled his presence. "What are _you_ doing here?" He asked the mysterious Aburame.

Though a part of him knew it was wrong to take his frustrations out of someone else, at the moment, Kiba didn't really care. He didn't want to see anyone at the moment; least of all Shino, who always had a way of making him feel worst about something, without even trying. Kiba knew his friend never intentionally spoke to cause injury, but Shino also never held anything back.

"I don't need this right now." Kiba growled; rising to his feet in order to leave.

"She is crying." Shino stoically stated, as the Inuzuka began walking away. Who the 'she' he was referring to, needed no explanation.

Pausing for a second, Kiba turned back to face the indifferent looking man. "She does that." He somberly replied, as he began walking away again.

"At the end of the river." The bug-wielder forebodingly informed Kiba.

"…" That unnerved him. It was only on the rarest and most painful occasions that Kiba noticed Hinata cry at the river's end, where the water flowed down a giant cascade, into sharp jagged rocks resting below. He had often been terrified, seeing the despairing look on the kunoichi's face, that she might actually jump to her death on one of those occasions.

"She is there because of you." Shino bluntly added. He tone wasn't accusatory, but it wasn't necessary anyway; the truth of his words alone stung.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Kiba snapped back.

He was angry. And confused. Hinata had never gone to the waterfall to cry over Naruto; it had always been because of her clan. She only ever reached the deepest depths of her despair when her family pushed her too hard; treated her too harshly. But never over Naruto. So why now? Just because he had forced the truth on her, that Naruto would never love her?

"Hn." Shino turned away. "You are an idiot." He asserted, before walking off; leaving behind a very confused Kiba.

"Haah." He sighed; staring up into the passing clouds. "What should I do?" He asked himself, as he fell to the forest floor; dejectedly holding his head in his hands.

Kiba had sworn he wouldn't go to her again; that he wouldn't watch her cry for _him_ again. He had promised himself he wouldn't. He needed to break the cycle, if he ever wanted to be free of his tormenting love.

As an image of Hinata actually jumping off the cliff into the jagged rocks below suddenly entered his mind, Kiba jolted to his feet. "Hinata!" Kiba gasped; quickly rushing towards the waterfall.

No matter what, even if it hurt him, Kiba knew the truth: he could never leave her.

"HINATA!" He yelled out as he entered the clearing that lead down the small path to the waterfall. "HINA-" He found her at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the dangerous drop to the bottom. "Don't… Don't do it." Kiba whisperingly plead, as he slowly approached the sobbing kunoichi's side; careful not to startle her. She was very close to the edge. "Hi-Hinata?"

"Haah!" The blue-haired beauty gasped; unconsciously taking a step back, closer towards the edge. In an instant, she lost her footing and began a slow battle with gravity. Her eyes shot wide open, as she struggled to maintain her balance.

"No!" Kiba yelled out as he quickly reached to grab her arm, just before the weight of her body could send her tumbling over the side of the cliff.

With all of his strength, he pulled her back to him, effectively sending the two teammates falling back onto the grassy ledge and away from the deadly edge.

"K-Kiba-kun?" Hinata nervously stuttered; unexpectedly finding herself unable to pull away from the fang-faced Inuzuka. His arms were too tightly wrapped around her, as the two laid, face to face, on the forest floor. "Kiba-kun." She whispered his name again, in hopes of getting his attention. He was trembling uncontrollably. Tears were spilling out from the shinobi's clenched eyes, as he held the girl to him. "Kiba-kun, please…"

"Don't" Kiba huskily whispered, as slowly he sat the two of them up; still without removing his tightening embrace upon the kunoichi. "_Ever_ do that again."

"Ki-" Hinata began; confused by what was happening.

"I thought.." He opened his eyes to look at her. "I almost lost you." Tears began pouring down his face again. "I couldn't… I wouldn't…" He was having a difficult time breathing as he painfully sobbed. "I… I'd die if anything ever happened to you."

"Haah…" Hinata gasped; finally beginning to understand.

"I'm sorry." Kiba whispered; shamefully staring down at the forest floor. "I shouldn't have said what I said." He turned back up to face her; wanting to look into her compassionate lavender eyes, as he summoned up all his courage. At the moment, he felt he was on that edge again. But he couldn't imagine being any more terrified and nervous then he had been when he saw Hinata on the edge of the cliff. "But…" He swallowed painfully before continuing. He needed to say it. "I… I love you."

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**_**THE END (or not…)  
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**_**A/N**: I so would have continued this… in my mind, Hinata wasn't cry over Naruto… She was crying about Kiba… But the ending here was sooo… perfect… I promise though, I will make the next KibaHina more kissy!... I might even do a 2nd part to this, eventually… **;P**


	3. Smells like

**Disclaimer:** Naruto and all Naruto related stuff is (c) Masashi Kishimoto. All OCs and original storyline/plot/imagination (c) of ME!!!!!

**A/N: **I wrote this during the 4 to 7am insomnia… so, it might not be to my usual skill level, but I think it came out okay…The story is loosely based on** Rikku93**'s suggestion; hope you like it ;)

_**THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!!!**_

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**_**SMELLS LIKE…  
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'_Sniff_.' Kiba sniffed the air for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. And there it was again. The same smell that had been following him all day.

He wasn't quite sure exactly what it was he was smelling, but for some reason he knew it was a familiar scent.

Since early in the day, when he had discovered that he was going to be spending it by himself (since he mother was away on a mission and his sister was attending to some sick animals at a farm in a nearby town; and his team had the day off, due to Kurenia sensei having to take her toddler for a check up at the hospital), Kiba had been practically stalked by the unfamiliar scent.

"What a way to spend the day." Kiba pitifully sighed, as he looked over at Akamaru, who was lazily chewing on a giant bone Hana had left him, right before she left for work that morning.

And what a day it was.

Kiba had been eagerly awaiting the day he could wake up and finally proclaim to his sister and mother (and to a lesser extent, to the rest of the world), that he was no longer a little kid who could be ordered around and constantly teased; he was a MAN.

True, in appearance, his face still had a somewhat cherub-cheeked quality to it that made the youngest Inuzuka appear somewhat child-like, but as of that day, he was an adult…

"A MAN." Kiba puffed out his chest proudly.

He would still have to wait a while longer before he could demand from his mother and sister to be treated as such, but it didn't matter. After waiting for so long; enduring the many '_you're a kid so you have to do what I tell you to_' speeches from his mother; or the '_what a cute little boy_' cheek-pinching taunts from his teasing older sister, Kiba would finally have the respect he deserved. Because he wasn't a boy any more; he was a MAN.

"Haah." He deflated his chest as he looked down at his lone companion chewing on his bone. "A lonely man." He sighed; throwing himself down on the forest floor next to his best friend. "A bored man." He mumbled as he extended his hand out to pat Akamaru's head, but quickly thought otherwise upon hearing the growl of an overprotective dog who didn't mean anything by it, but would instinctively bite whatever hand came near him and his precious bone. "Alright, alright." Kiba tucked his hand back behind his head, as he laid down to look up at the cloudless sky.

July was a beautiful month. There were very few months that were as warm, yet not excruciatingly hot, like some of the other summer months. Of course, Kiba was aware that he was probably somewhat bias in his assessment, since July was what he often considered as _his_ month. Nonetheless, Kiba still firmly held that July was the best month of the year.

'_Sniff_.' Again, he snorted the air as a gentle breeze blew over his head, causing that same unfamiliar scent to reach his sensitive nose. "Oi! Akamaru." Kiba called out to his life-long companion.

"Arf!" The large white dog took a moment to remove his teeth from the bone and barked in response to his master's call.

"Do you smell that?" He asked the large dog, as he once more sniffed the air trying to figure out where he had smelled that scent before. "Recognize it?" He asked after the dog started sniffing the air along with him.

"Eeen." The dog whined; shaking his head to indicate he too did not recognize the scent.

Knowing he wasn't the only one who couldn't identify the smell made Kiba feel a little less bad, but it still nagged at him. It was a nice smell; fresh and clean; a sort of calming and hypnotic, but at the same time, light and sweet, and yet sharp and breezy. It was a confusion sort of scent, which made his head float, his stomach churn, and his heart pound. It excited him and calmed him all the same time. And there was a familiarity to it too; as if he'd known it for his entire life; a smell that had almost become a part of him; so much so that he almost didn't smell it at all. But try as he might, Kiba just couldn't figure out what it was.

'_Sniff_.' Kiba flipped over on the grassy floor; landing on all fours as he slowly began sniffing his immediate surroundings to try and figure out where the smell was coming from this time. "I know it's around here." He told himself; certain of his assertion since that smell had been following him all day. "But where?"

Leaving Akamaru behind to enjoy his large bone, Kiba slowly followed his nose, as it sniffed for the scent, down the small hill he and his dog had been resting on, toward the trees that marked the entrance into the patch of Nara forest bordering the village.

'_Sniiiiiiiff_' Kiba inhaled deeply as he got to a large, thick tree not too far from where he had been sitting. He could tell he was close. The scent was strongest near the tree.

As he continued following the enticing aroma, Kiba felt almost as if he were drowning in the scent. What was it? It was so familiar; so inviting; so intoxicating…

He knew he'd smelled it somewhere before, but no matter how hard he tried to search the deep recesses of his mind, Kiba just couldn't figure it out.

"Haah!" A soft gasped escaped the tree Kiba was sniffing.

"Wait." He stood upright; suddenly very confused. "Trees don't gasp." He told himself, before quickly dashing around the tree to discover the source of the sound. "Hinata?!" He stared in wonder of the blue-haired Hyuga standing nervously in front of him.

"K-Kiba-kun." Hinata quietly whispered; too nervous to speak without her childhood speech impediment.

"Hey Hinata." Kiba tilted his head to the side while smiling warmly; hoping his friendly demeanor might calm the jittery girl a bit. "What'cha doing here?" He asked curiously; eyeing the timid girl as she shifted nervously before him; all thoughts of the smell quickly forgotten.

He could tell there was something she wanted to say, but being the girl that she was, Hinata had always struggled with her near-debilitating shyness, and sometimes it took her a whole (and bit of prying), before she finally spoke up. Before meeting her, Kiba had had very little patience for things; and he was easily annoyed by people who couldn't get to the point. But because he had always found the timid Hyuga so endearingly sweet and absolutely adorable, Kiba had never felt agitated or irritated to wait for her; in a sense, she had giving him the patience he had never had, and as a result, made him a better a person.

"Did you need something?" He calmly asked; trying to keep his voice from sounding too demanding, out of fear he might scare her away.

Looking at her, Kiba noticed she seemed more nervous than usual; and that was saying something. Instead of her usual fidgeting-fingers, which he had often thought of as quite cute, Kiba noted that the kunoichi was holding her hands behind her for once. For a second, he wondered if she were hiding something behind her back; something that she didn't want him to see. But before Kiba could really think about it, a sudden breeze blew that stalking scent back towards his nose.

Quickly forgetting about what Hinata might have to hide, Kiba began sniffing the air again with renewed vigor.

'_Sniff. Sniff._' He spun in circles, like a dog chasing its tale. The smell was all around him. But he couldn't figure out where it was coming from. "Where…" Kiba began, before another sharp wind blew to him from the kunoichi's direction. "Is it…" He instinctively followed his nose over to where Hinata was pressed nervously against the tree.

Smelling his way over toward the timid heiress, Kiba determinedly began sniffing all around the blue-haired kunoichi. Inhaling every scent around her; from her the tree trunk, to her hair, and all around her. Before he realized it, his face was buried in the kunoichi's neck.

'_Sniff._' Kiba unconsciously inhaled deeply, as he continued sniffing at the crook of the girl's neck.

"K-K-Kiba-kun…" Hinata whisperingly gasped.

"Huh?" He retreated a little; though his face was still dangerously close to hers. "What's wrong Hinata?" He asked the brightly colored girl as their faces remained mere inches away. "Why's your face so red?" He curiously asked.

"Aa-ah…" Hinata nervously pushed him away; shoving a small paper bag in front of him, and quickly making her escape before Kiba could say anything else.

"Eh?" Kiba stared down at the non-descript paper bag she had shoved in his hands. "What's this?" He turned the bag back and forth.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Kiba unrolled the crumpled end of the bag to open it. Inside, he could see there was a small rectangular object, but he couldn't quite tell what it was just from looking into the bag. Deciding it was meant for him, since Hinata had handed to him (albeit roughly), Kiba stuck his hand in and pulled the thing out. He was utterly surprised to realize that what he held in his hand was a portrait of himself. But not just any portrait; a portrait of his face, made entirely of pressed flowers. Yellow daffodil's for his skin; daisies for the whites of his eyes and his teeth; red rose petals for his fangs; pressed maple leaves for his hair and eyes; darkened violets for his leather jacket; and blue hydrangeas for the background. Though the flowers were dried and pressed, they still retained the lingering fragrance of their former selves. Around the flowers, a sandalwood frame kept the portrait perfectly protected; and added to the already mixed aroma of the flowers.

'_Sniff_.' Kiba sniffed at the object in his hands.

That was it! That was the smell that had been following him around all day. That meant…

"Hinata…" Kiba lovingly whispered the kunoichi's name; smiling goofily as he once more looking down at the portrait she had made of him, and had obviously been building the courage all day to give to him.

Turned the portrait around, the smitten Inuzuka tenderly smiled as he saw, on the back of the picture frame, a small note reading simply:

"Happy Birthday Kiba-kun."

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**_**THE END  
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**_…_**LOVE **__;P hehehe…_

_I have a fanart picture of the portrait Hinata made on my dA account (link to it on my profile).  
_


	4. What Kiba Knew

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**A/N**: It started with a fanart (which can be found on my dA page, just type in "Kiba's Confession")

_**THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!  
**_

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**WHAT KIBA KNEW**

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Frantically leaping from tree to tree, the anxious shinobi abruptly stopped atop a large oak and sniffed the air for what seemed like the millionth time in the last hour. Inhaling deeply, he could smell the salty scent of tears clinging in the night air. Though tears normally smelled the same for everyone, the mixed in floral scent, that only one who was gifted with the incredible Inuzuka nose could detect, informed the worried young man exactly who those tears belonged to.

"Hinata." Kiba anxiously whispered into the dark forest, as his eyes adjusted to the shadows beneath him.

His heart ached as he imagined the timid kunoichi curled up somewhere, alone in the dark, crying her eyes out. Too many times Kiba had come upon that very scene, and each time it crushed him. It crushed him, because he knew...

Kiba knew what it meant.

He knew who was responsible; for whom those tears were shed.

Although for many years Kiba had pretended that he didn't know; concealed the fact that he was very much aware of the girl's true feelings for a certain blond shinobi... He knew.

Kiba knew she had been watching that person for years. He knew every time she blushed, it was either because that person was standing in front of her, or because she was thinking about him. Kiba knew that she held more than just feeling of admiration and respect... That her feelings were deep and true.

He knew... but deep inside, Kiba truly wished he didn't.

So he pretended.

He pretended he didn't know the reasons why she fainted. He pretended he didn't know why she hid behind trees and posts. He pretended he didn't notice how her stutter always got worse around that person. How hearing words of encouragement from that guy gave her greater courage and stronger determination, while Kiba's words did not.

The worst of it, though, was how he knew that despite how beautiful, angelic, pure, and wonderful the Hyuga girl was, that idiot was blind to all of it, and would never love her. And while the knowledge that it would never come to pass that the woman he had grown attached to over the years, would not be stolen away, Kiba knew that when she hid herself alone in the forest, it was for that person that she wept.

"Haah." Dejectedly sighing, Kiba slowly leapt down to the forest floor and proceeded to walk in the direction of the sobbing kunoichi.

From the strength of the salty smell, Kiba could tell he was close. Slowly approaching a small clearing near the edge of the village, the young Inuzuka quietly stared out passed the trees, easily spotting the blue-haired kunoichi crouched sullenly next to a rushing riverbank.

"Hinata..." he whispered.

Though he knew for a fact that she had begun to cry over an hour ago, judging from the sounds of her sobs - just barely concealed by the noise of the river- it was clear the timid heiress still had much more to cry. A part of Kiba urged him to walk out from behind the trees and comfort the kunoichi, but he knew from past experiences that the moment he made his presence known to her, she would wipe away her tears, smile, and pretend that nothing was wrong. And while it ached to see her crying, Kiba knew it was better to let her purge herself of the negative emotions than to stop her midway; so he stood there, behind the treeline, and listened to her sobs, fighting his instincts to step forward.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Kiba quietly asked; unsure if the question was meant for her, or for him... "Haah." He exhaled deeply, slowly sliding down the truck of the tree he was hiding behind.

For an hour, he watched the kunoichi cry her eyes out; occasionally hearing the name of that person tearfully mumbled between the sounds of her cries and the pounding of the river behind her. It broke Kiba's heart to have to listen to her without doing anything.

He felt useless; powerless...

"Enough already!" He growled under his breath. "I can't stand this anymore!" Furiously rising to his feet, Kiba quickly stepped out from behind the bushes and in a flash, he ran to the weeping girl's side.

"K-Kiba-kun!" Hinata gasped as she found herself face to face with the fuming Inuzuka. "W-w-what are you.." she stutteringly began; desperately trying to turn away from him as she attempted to wipe away the evidence of her tears.

"Stop it." Kiba grabbed her by the shoulders and spun the girl back towards him. There was anger in his voice, but it was not at her that he was angry; it was at himself; at his helplessness. For so long he had played the part of the ignorant, silent observer, as he watched the kunoichi weep rivers for that person; doing nothing; saying nothing. And why? Because he wanted to help her keep up the pretense that she was strong? But why? "There's nothing wrong with crying." Kiba voiced his thoughts, as he pulled the girl into his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

"Kiba-kun." The girl painfully whimpered; standing stiffly against his chest as if too shocked to know what to do.

A million thoughts raced through the Inuzuka's head as he held the kunoichi tightly in his arms. Though it had been a conscious decision to come out from behind the trees, Kiba hadn't really thought about what to do after that. He didn't even realized he had grabbed her until she called out his name. In the seconds that followed, his mind blanked as Kiba tried to come up with what to do or say next.

His mind told him to run, but his heart told him to stay. For so long he had longed for a moment like this; a moment where he could hold the girl of his dreams lovingly in his arms and forget about the world around them. Kiba had always imagined that one day she would come to see that there wasn't only that guy. That there was others who could see what a wonderful person she was. Each time he came across the girl, crying for the boy who wouldn't notice her, Kiba had hoped it was because she had finally realized the truth; that that person was so obsessed with his own ambitions, his own desires, that it blinded him to the angelic beauty that she was.

"Agh." Kiba groaned, wondering if his personality was really that nasty as to harbor desires that the girl he loved would confess her love and be rejected so that she might look his way for just a bit.

"K-kiba-kun?" Hinata timidly called out to him, as she continued standing stiffly against his tense chest.

"It's nothing." Kiba quickly mumbled; relaxing his posture as he slowly unwound his grip on the girl and tried to act more casually. "I just..." He began; wanting to explain his sudden hasty actions. But as he pulled away and looked into those sparkling white eyes, as pure as the soul that hid behind them, a sharp pain jabbed at his heart.

There she was, the girl he loved, smiling at him. Smiling at him... and it hurt.

It hurt because it was the same smile she always gave him whenever Kiba walked in on her crying over that person. The same smile that, time and again, broke his heart because he knew, despite how beautiful it was, it was forced. A forced smile meant to make him believe she was fine, when really she was breaking inside. It was the most painful thing in the world. But the reason it hurt him so much, was because it was the same smile he used to pretend that he believed her; to pretend he knew nothing about what was hidden behind her forced smile.

"I know you love him." Kiba suddenly whispered.

And then time stopped.

For an instant, everything seemed to stand painfully still as the kunoichi processed the statement her teammate had whispered.

The words had left him before Kiba had even realized he'd said them.

As he held his breath, waiting for her reaction, he tried not to question why he had said it in the first place; though deep inside he probably knew. Just as he knew it was that person, and that unrequited love, which were the cause of the girl's tears, and yet, like a fool, he had uttered a reminder of why she was out by that river, pouring her eyes out. And just when she had finally stopped crying...

"I... I know that you love him." Kiba repeated; speaking without really knowing what he was saying. "but..." he hesitantly continued; taking a deep breath as he slowly pulled the girl an arms length away from him, bashfully eyeing the floor as he pressed his forehead against hers; unable to look at her face to face for fear that even in the darkness she would see the rising color on his cheeks as he built the courage to whisper to her what he had always wanted to say each time he found her crying in the forest. "Couldn't..." he paused nervously. "Couldn't you look at me instead?" 

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**THE END**

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**A/N** : The ending killed me... it just seemed so rushed but I couldn't figure out what else to write... and I rewrote it like 15 times... then I gave up and decided just to hell with it, this is good enough.


	5. The Inuzuka Way

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**A/N**: This was done for a contest... it was kind of short notice, so it's not as great I would normally like my stories to be, but, I do love the opening, and that's pretty rare for me. XP

The theme was LOVE... but it was open to any form of love, not just romantic, so I decided to go with family love as well as romantic love. Hope you like it! Enjoy!

_**THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!**_

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**_**THE INUZUKA WAY****  
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Kiba was not particularly bright, nor was he particularly patient, so when an idea popped into his head, he did it. He didn't wait to examine the thought. He didn't weight the pros and cons. He didn't discuss it or consider the repercussions, he simply acted.

His way of thinking was that, if it felt right, just do it! Everything else would certainly fall into place.

Unfortunately, it never did quite just 'fall into place.' If anything, his carefree approach to life tended to get Kiba into more trouble than he could possibly anticipate, had he actually taken the time to think about it before he acted on his impulse.

"Stupid!" Kiba shouted, knocking over a lamp with his fist. "I'm so stupid!" he groaned, hitting another lamp as he paced back and forth in the formerly clean and orderly living room of his clan home.

"Oi!" a voice called out from behind him, disrupting his frustrated tantrum. "You're going to have to clean that up," Kiba's older sister informed the young man as she stepped in, witnessing her younger brother trashing their family room. "Woah," she gasped, as she surveyed the damage.

Aside from the lamps, two side tables were knocked over. The coffee table had been kicked clear across the room; the vase of roses that usually sat there had been spilled and the flowers scattered. One of the couches was knocked over, and the cushions tossed to the sides. There were pieces of paper, torn and ripped all over the room. Even Kiba didn't remember when he'd done that, or what it was he'd shredded.

"Mom is going to skin you alive," Hana ominously added, as she stared in awe of what her younger brother had done.

At that point, Kiba was still full of rage, ready to bark at anyone, and he was about to, when a new thought occurred to him. "You're a grown up!" the younger Inuzuka exclaimed, rushing over to his sister's side. "Tell me how to fix this!" he desperately pleaded, grabbing hold of her hands as if expecting them to carry the solution to all his worries.

She laughed, loud and heartily; obviously enjoying his discomfort. "Save yourself the trouble, little brother," the older kunoichi quickly responded, pulling one hand away and waving it dismissively before he could even tell her what he was talking about. "Just walk away," she laughed louder, pulling her other hand away from his grasp.

"What kind of advice is that?" Kiba angrily demanded, roughly grabbing the collar of the lab coat she was still wearing, having just returned from her shift at the animal hospital.

For a moment, his sister looked like she was about ready to smack him for his rudeness, but seeing the desperation, beneath the anger, in her younger brother's eyes, Hana meekly smiled and pushed him away, ignoring the disrespectful behavior. Then again they were Inuzuka, the rules of what was proper and what wasn't proper behavior didn't quite apply to their unruly clan.

"The best kind," Hana eventually replied, smiling at him teasingly as she thought about how cute it was to see her usually carefree little brother so worked up; it was only natural for a big sister to tease her younger brother thoroughly.

"It was pointless to ask for your help, wasn't it?" Kiba sighed dejectedly, before turning and walking back to pick up one of the fallen lamps.

Seeing her usually cheerful little brother so obviously agitated, Hana seemed to decide she would throw him a bone. "Okay, fine." She sighed, as she walked over to the other lamp and helped him pick it up.

The fact that neither lamp had broken during the younger man's temper tantrum was most likely due to the fact that their mother knew what kind of children she had, and had long ago learned to buy durable furniture that could withstand their roughhousing.

"What exactly is it you need help on?" Hana asked as she threw herself down on the love seat and waited for him to explain.

Kiba nervously continued to pace back and forth, putting the couch back in place and picking up the furniture he'd pushed over. All the while, his mouth would open and close repeatedly, as he tried to explain what had happened. But each time he began, words failed him, as he couldn't quite figure out what to say.

"Damn it Kiba!" the older girl shouted, folding her arms around her body as she waited for him to speak up. "Out with it already!"

"FINE!" Kiba growled back at her.

To an outsider, it would seem as if they were fighting, but the truth was, that's just how Inuzuka's communicated. Through yelling and screaming, and, quite literally, barking at one another. They were honest and unapologetic. What came out of their mouths was usually said without a care of how it may affect the listener, which under normal circumstances would perhaps be seen as a bad thing, but to an Inuzuka, it was just another form of expressing their love.

Honesty, along with loyalty, was amongst the most valued traits their clan held in high regard. To those you loved, you were loyal and always truthful.

"Fine, I'll tell you," Kiba sighed, slumping down on the armchair directly in front of her. He leaned forward and pushed his head into his hands, staring at the carpeted floor below, watching as his sock-covered feet shuffled back and forth. "I just want everything to go back to the way it was..." his voice dropped to barely above a whisper as he shook his head in his hands. "before..."

"Before what?" Hana asked, this time with a much more serious tone, now that she could see her little brother was really hurting.

"Before I ruined everything."

The siblings remained still and silent as the boy's last words hung heavily in the air. Hana didn't seem to know what to say. He hadn't given her very much, but Kiba knew his sister knew him well enough to know only one person could have that much effect on him.

Hana sighed. She stood up and walked over to her brother, gently placing one hand on his shoulder. "Ok, tell me what happened..."

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"_K-kiba-kun?" the timid blue-haired kunoichi smiled nervously at her fang-faced teammate._

"_Huh?" Kiba intelligently replied, shaking his head clear. He had been sitting in the same spot, staring into space for the last twenty minutes. Not really thinking about anything in particular, just random things that kept popping into his head. "What's up Hinata?" he grinned widely as he addressed the pretty kunoichi. _

"_Ano..." she blushed deeply, turning down to stare at her hands, where her fingers were busy stretching and pushing against one another. "I-is everything okay?" she asked, there was concern in her voice and he could tell she was worried, though at the same time a bit apprehensive about talking to him._

_He tried to smile reassuringly, hoping to ease her nervousness, but that rarely ever seemed to work. Lately, in fact, it seemed she had gotten more and more timid around him. Kiba wasn't exactly sure why that was. In fact, that was one of the things he'd been thinking about just moments earlier. _

"_Did I do something wrong?" Kiba abruptly asked. That was the only explanation he could come up with as to why the kunoichi, whom he'd always considered a close friend, and who he also happened to have harbored an insanely strong crush on for the last few years, would suddenly start avoiding him. _

"_What?" Hinata's head quickly jolted up to face him again. "No!" she shook her head adamantly. "No. W-w-why would you-"_

"_You've been avoiding me." Kiba bluntly stated, answering her question before she could finish asking it. "I don't like it," he added. _

_Her face suddenly took on a grave expression, and it pained him a little to see that his words had jabbed at her heart. But as was common for any Inuzuka, honesty wasn't just about telling the truth, it was also about not avoiding the unpleasant things people didn't want to talk about._

"_I-I'm sorry," Hinata meekly whispered, once more turning down to face her jittery fingers. _

"_If I did anything, I..." he didn't really know how to continue that. Not merely because he couldn't think of anything he may have possibly done to bother her, but because he couldn't imagine any reason why the blue-haired heiress would ever avoid someone. _

_And then a thought jumped into his head. _

_A memory really, of the many years he'd watched her hiding behind trees and walls, blushing brightly, stuttering more than usual. All of this had become common again in recent months, but this time instead of being the one watching her hide, he was the one she was hiding from. The only reason Kiba knew, was because he could always tell where she was; after all, he could always sniff her out. But it never occurred to him why. _

_Until now._

"_K-kiba-kun?" Hinata nervously moved back as the aforementioned Inuzuka stood up and quickly moved towards her._

_Aside from thinking she looked adorable, which admittedly he was always thinking, the only other thought in Kiba's head was that maybe, just maybe, the kunoichi finally liked him back. It didn't take long for him to go from that thought, to his next one. Actually, it wasn't really a thought at all. It was more an impulse, an instinct he could no longer deny because the feeling had been slowly building over the years, and had only ever been stopped by the knowledge that she didn't feel the same as him... until now. _

_Of course, in usual Kiba-style, he wasn't really thinking about this impulse, all he was thinking was 'boy her lips look tasty,' and the next thing he knew, he had found himself standing directly in front of her, their faces mere inches apart. _

_And then he did it._

_The one thing he would later come to fear as being the worst mistake of his life... or perhaps the best._

_He kissed her._

_He pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips firmly against hers. With the passion of one who had been holding in his feelings for years, Kiba ravenously devoured her lips. There was no thought or technique put into it, just fire and instinct. It was the most blissful thirty seconds of his life. _

_Until he realized what he was doing..._

"_I..." Kiba stared wide-eyed at the blushing kunoichi. "Sorry!" he hurriedly apologized, then quickly turned and ran off._

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"I'm such a coward," Kiba groaned, feeling even worse than he did before, now that he had actually put everything to words. "I didn't even wait to see how she reacted."

For a moment, Hana said nothing. She ran her fingers through his messy hair, gently massaging his scalp like she used to do when he was a toddler and her six-year-old self was still unconvinced he wasn't just another one of the puppies her family raised.

"That doesn't sound like you," she finally spoke up.

And it was true. It wasn't like him at all. Kiba wasn't the type who ran away from things. He wasn't the type who acted on an impulse and then hid from the consequences. He wasn't a coward!

"Well..." Hana called out again, breaking through his thoughts. "You know what you have to do then right?" she grinned widely at him, ruffling his hair as she stood up from where she'd been sitting on the arm of the armchair he was wallowing in. "And here's you're chance!" she smirked, gesturing with a tilt of her head over, to across the garden, where there mother was walking up to them along side a very familiar blue-haired princess.

As he turned to see what his sister was talking about, Kiba's eyes went saucer-wide. He jolted to his feet and felt the sudden urge to run and hide, but he couldn't. As much as he feared what was to come, running away from it, even though he'd essentially already done it once, was not the Inuzuka way.

"K-kiba-kun," the tiny voice from behind him stiffened his back.

He inhaled deeply, before turning, watching as his sister pulled away their mother to give the two teammates some time to themselves. He wasn't quite sure if he should be grateful or consider plotting revenge on his smirking older sister as she hustled their protesting mother away and winked teasing at him.

"Hinata," Kiba solemnly called out her name as he slowly, almost timidly, approached her. He inhaled deeply once more, before taking her hand and guiding her over to the couch he had earlier overturned. Inhaling a few more times, as the kunoichi patiently waited for him to calm down, he felt his determination growing.

He wasn't sure how things would turn out, but Kiba did know one thing: he loved her. And because he loved her, he owed her the truth, because _that_ was the Inuzuka way.

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**_**THE END  
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**A/N :** The ending might seem a bit abrupt, but it should be pretty clear given the title and the first scene that this story was about Kiba's inner conflict and determination, so while I'm sure most people would have loved a rushed confession here at the end, I reserve the right to exclude it. After all, there's always other oneshots that I can write with a confession in it.


	6. Beautiful

**Disclaimer**: Naurto © Kishimoto

**A/N**: The story idea could have made a good multi-chapter story, but right now I thought I'd just do a oneshot.

I had the HARDEST time starting this one... I mean, I had the idea already, ever since my fanart "Single Ladies" but I didn't know how to implement it... somewhere near the middle, I was afraid Hinata was going to come off rather pathetic, and I really didn't want that, and I was beginning to give up hope on it turning out well, but then it kind of all just came together at the end. I loved the finished product. :D

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BEAUTIFUL  
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"Hey Hinata!" the blonde would-be hokage yelled from across the table as he smiled at the Hyuga girl with that impossibly large grin of his.

"Y-yes Naruto?" she timidly looked up from her half eaten bowl of ramen, wondering why the cheerful boy had suddenly decided to start paying attention to her when earlier he had been completely absorbed with some joke he had been telling the pale skinned former ANBU sitting next to him.

"You okay?" he asked, cocking his head to the side curiously as he waited for her reply.

Sitting besides the blue-haired heiress, her fang-faced teammate stiffened. Why, however, Hinata wasn't quite sure, but it was hard to miss due to the fact that they were a large group sitting at a relatively small table for their numbers; as a result, Kiba's shoulder had been pressed up against hers, so every time he moved, she could feel it. Being the girl she was, though, Hinata didn't pry into what might be bothering him, but she did notice a few times that he would turn and look at her a little uneasy.

"It-it's nothing," Hinata assured her former crush, shaking the thoughts about her teammate out of her head. If he wanted to talk about what was on his mind, she was certain he would tell her. The question right now, was why did Naruto think something was wrong with her, when Kiba was the one acting weirdly.

"Well, you've hardly eaten anything," Naruto pointed at her bowl and the other plates sitting around her, most of them completely untouched.

"I'm not really hungry," the girl softly replied as she gently pushed the bowl of ramen away. Almost immediately the blonde boy offered to take the bowl if she really didn't want to finish it, and of course she told him he could have it.

"Thanks," he grinned, before gulping down the meal and returning to his previous conversation with Sai.

The rest of the lunch went as usual, with jokes, laughter, the occasional embarrassing story at her cousin Neji's expense, and lots of planning for their next big get together. It wasn't often that the Konoha eleven, well twelve now that Sai had join them, had free time together, so they liked to organize lunches or shopping trips that they could all participate in whenever they did have overlapping free time.

"Hinata," the pink haired medic called out to the Hyuga around the time the meal was nearing it's end. "Are you sure you don't want to go shopping with us today?" she asked. There was a hopeful look on the kunoichi's face, which didn't surprise Hinata considering how often she had bailed on the last few get-togethers with the girls.

"Yeah, come with us!" Ino chimed in. "It'll help us work off the meal," she laughed, though of course everyone knew she was serious. No one was more obsessed with diet and exercise than the blonde Yamanaka girl; or at least that was the general consensus.

"I'm sorry," Hinata apologized. "I-I have something to do," she stammered. She felt a little bad about not going, after all it was the sixth time the girls had invited her out to go shopping in the last few months, and each time Hinata had declined the offer, making up excuses as to why it was she couldn't go.

"Well, maybe next time," Tenten shrugged, smiling reassuringly at the blue-haired girl, almost as if to say 'don't feel bad, we still love you.'

"Yes." Hinata nodded, smiling back gratefully at the older girl. "Next time."

The truth was, she had been avoiding their shopping trips for over three months already. It wasn't that Hinata didn't enjoy hanging out with the other girls, in fact she loved it, but recently she hadn't felt particularly sociable. It had nothing to do with them, or... at least that's what Hinata kept telling herself. And in part it was mostly true. The issue was her. Or more specifically, her own lack of confidence in herself, that was driving her away from her friends. She knew they loved her, and she knew that if ever there was anyone she could talk to, the three girls were her closest friends and she could trust them with just about anything. But... she was scared. The things that were plaguing her mind seemed so ridiculously superficial and unimportant compared to the every day, life and death problems they usually had to deal with, that she felt ashamed to even be thinking about them. But Hinata couldn't help it. She had always struggled alone, always fought against insecurities and a deep sense of inferiority, and while most people knew she was timid, they didn't really know just how insecure she truly was.

"haaah," the blue-haired girl sighed as she walked out of the restaurant, after waving good-bye to everyone, and headed towards her favorite secluded area in the forest.

It was a good place to think. A good place to cry her heart out, next to a raging river, and not run into anyone who might see her. But at the moment, she was too exhausted, too tired, to find the strength to cry.

"So..." a deeply concerned voice startled the kunoichi as a familiar presence sat down besides her. "You gonna tell me what's up?"

She tried not to seem as surprised as she was, but in the back of her mind Hinata wondered how it was she hadn't realized Kiba had followed her there without her noticing.

"Your chakra scent has been really weak for the last few months," the Inuzuka boy stated as he turned over to look at her, his face mere inches from hers as they shared the small log that sat on it's side next to the river's edge. "You look tired, I'm sure you haven't been sleeping well, and I don't think I've seen you eat anything more than fruit in the last nine weeks... so what's wrong?"

"You... you noticed?" Hinata replied, startled by his revelation. She had been pretty sure she'd concealed her actions rather well, and no one else seemed to have noticed.

"How could I not?" Kiba smacked his lips disbelievingly. "Even Naruto noticed today... Plus, I'd be a pretty poor best friend if I hadn't."

She stared at him for a moment, digesting his words. 'Best friend?' she wondered. Kiba had always been a very close friend, along with Shino, and Kurenai. They were, after all, teammates. But she had never really thought Kiba saw her as a best friend, especially given that the fang-faced boy tended to prefer the company of canines over humans most of the time. When he did have free time to hang out, she usually saw him with Naruto and occasionally Lee, who both shared a similar wild-air about them.

"What?" he looked at her questioningly. "Don't tell me I'm not your best friend!" Kiba growled in mock-outrage, staring at her for a moment longer, before sighing and then scratching the back of his head with a mixed expression of anger, confusion, and... was that sorrow? "Well...you're my best friend," he mumbled. There was something else he said after that, but Hinata couldn't quite make it out, though it was evidently something that caused the Inuzuka's cheeks to color a slight tint of rose, barely noticeable on his tanned skin.

"Huh?" Hinata shook her head, disregarding what it might have been that made him blush and instead focused on what she had heard. "N-no, it's not tha... isn't Akamaru your best friend?" she scrambled through her thoughts, flustered at first.

Kiba's expression returned back to his original curious look as he once more stared questioningly at the blue-haired kunoichi. "Well yeah but... it's different," he replied, as if her question made no sense at all. To him it seemed completely obvious that Akamaru being his best friend and Hinata being his best friend were two entirely distinct matters, one having absolutely nothing to do with the other. "That's not the point though," he sighed, rather dejectedly, as if it had really wounded him to not hear an affirmative response from the blue-haired heiress, confirming that she too saw him as a best friend. "The point is..." he paused, not quite a hesitant pause, but rather a pensive pause. "If you have something on your mind... something bothering you..." he paused again, turning away from the blue-haired girl to stare up at the sky which was slowly beginning to cloud up. "You know you can trust me right?" Kiba turned back down to stare into the kunoichi's startled white eyes.

Hinata wasn't sure quite what to say. Of course she trusted him. She trusted Kiba more than almost anyone else she knew. Probably the only other person she trusted more was her mother, who she had lost at a very early age. But... the things she was dealing with now... well, they were personal, and not something she wanted to talk about.

"It... it's nothing," Hinata denied, turning away to hide her blush, not that Kiba had never seen her blush before. "It's stupid," she whispered as an afterthought, trying very hard to keep the tears in her eyes from spilling.

"It's not stupid!" Kiba immediately responded, grabbing her shoulders and almost forcefully turning the kunoichi back to face him. "If it's bothering you, it can't be stupid!"

She was stunned by his words more than his forcefulness as Kiba pulled her around, gripping her shoulders tightly to keep her from moving. Hinata didn't really know what to say. It _was_ stupid, and she knew it. "You'll laugh... you'll think I'm being silly."

Kiba's brow tighten, his expression was unusually serious, as was his tone as he finally spoke after an extended pause. "I would never think that," he replied sternly, before making yet another pause. Soon, his brow slowly softened again, and he released his grip on her shoulder. "Maybe silly in a cute way, but I'd never think of you as stupid silly," Kiba quietly added.

Cute?

It surprised her for a moment to hear him say that, let alone realize he had said it about her. No one had ever before called Hinata cute, at least never to her face. "Y-you mean it?" she hesitantly asked, wondering if perhaps her ears had been playing tricks on her.

"Huh?" Kiba stared at her confused. "Mean what?"

"Nothing," Hinata quickly replied, deciding that she had obviously just been hearing things.

An awkward silence fell upon the two, as Kiba opted not to press the issue, though she could see in his face he really wanted to ask. After a while, he sighed and turned away, facing the river and stared into it for a few minutes.

Hinata remained silent, trying to come up with something, _anything_, to say.

In the end, Kiba was the one who eventually broke the silence. "Until I was six, Hana used to dress me up like a girl, fluffy dresses, make up, pig-tails and all. I secretly like eating dog biscuits with Akamaru, they're actually pretty tasty. When I was twelve, I cut off the legs of my bed because I still believed there were monsters living under there. Those two weeks of school I missed when we were nine was because I caught fleas, not chicken-pox. I hate scary movies, and I cry at the end of every Air Bud movie... they're just so emotional..." he choked out.

To all that, Hinata didn't really know how to react, let alone what she was supposed to say. She wasn't sure whether to laugh, or be shocked, or whether to comfort Kiba as he wiped away a few stray tears from his red-marked cheeks. "K-kiba-kun..."

With his sleeve, he cleaned away the tears, then turned back to face the younger girl, smiling at her reassuringly. "The reason I told you all that embarrassing stuff... well it's cos I want you to realize that... no matter what, I wouldn't judge you," he paused, staring deep into her eyes with a warm comforting expression. He took her hands in his, and in as gentle a voice as Kiba could muster, he calmly smiled and said, "you can tell me anything, Hinata."

She wasn't sure whether it was the way he was looking at her, or the warmth of his hands, or the fact that he'd just revealed his most embarrassing secrets... but whatever the reason, Hinata couldn't hold back any longer. For months she'd been hiding the fact that she had been dieting, trying to lose weight after a particularly bad shopping trip where nothing seemed to fit right, and she'd stupidly begun comparing herself to the three other girls. Sakura was so thin, Ino was so pretty, Tenten was so toned.

And what was she?

She was fat! Fat and ugly! And she hated her body! Why couldn't she be like the other girls? Thin, with tiny, nimble, flexible bodies. That's what a kunoichi was _supposed_ to be! But as hard as she tried, as much as she starved herself and exercised until the early morning hours, Hinata just couldn't force her body to be what it wasn't.

She knew it was silly, knew it was vain and stupid, but she just couldn't help feeling what she felt. And she felt like a loser... a big fat loser.

Kiba listened to her quietly and attentively as Hinata spilled her guts, telling him everything, starting from the moment she tried on a pretty dress Sakura had handed her on their last shopping trip. The pink-haired medic had tried the same dress on herself first, but after determining the color just wasn't right for her, she had handed it to Hinata telling her it was perfect for her lavender-tinted eyes. Well, it hadn't fit, and neither had the dozen other dresses the three girls had handed her. Little by little the Hyuga girls self esteem, which had never been particularly strong, began breaking apart, shattering in the small dressing room stall. She had decided then and there to go on a diet.

At first, even through her debilitating insecurities, she had managed to put in her whole heart into her efforts. But two weeks later the blue-haired princess had discovered that instead of losing weight, she had actually gained some. It devastated her, and sent Hinata into a downward spiral, obsessing over her weight. For three months she had done everything possible to try and lose weight, but nothing seemed helped. She continued to fluctuate within the same five pounds. It was heart breaking... and a huge blow to her already damaged self confidence.

"That's stupid!" Kiba none-too-tactfully shouted after Hinata had finished explaining everything to him. He immediately regretted it though, after seeing the blue-haired girl's hurt reaction. "I didn't mean you," he hurriedly explained himself, grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face him. "I meant, what you're thinking," he paused, rethinking his statement, and shook his head again. "That came out wrong!" he said, "I didn't mean you were … ahhh!" he groaned loudly, finding it difficult to say what it was he really wanted to say.

Releasing his grip on her shoulders, Kiba inhaled and exhaled deeply. He turned and looked up at the sky, swallowing hard, before trying again to explain himself. "I mean... you're not ..." he didn't want to use the f-word, didn't even want to bring it up, knowing all women, no matter how big or small, were sensitive about it.

"I'm not saying this to make you feel better," he began, knowing the kunoichi well enough to understand that she would jump to such a conclusion if he didn't clarify it from the start. "I mean this from the bottom of my heart..." Kiba stated before turning back to face the white-eyed girl, once more taking her hands in his, stroking his thumb over the back. "Hinata...You're the single most beautiful girl I've ever known," he paused, steadying his shaking voice as he stared into her eyes, his heart beating impossibly fast, as if it too was as embarrassed as he was, wishing he could just run away and hide somewhere, but he wouldn't.

He had been a coward for so long, hiding his true feelings from the girl he loved. But no more. "You're the most caring, kind, honest, sweet girl I've ever met. You're braver than anyone else in the entire village, even though sometimes you can't see that. You always fight for what you believe in, even when everything else seems to be fighting against you. You never give up. When you smile, I can't help but want to smile along with you. You're nice to everyone you meet, always willing to help, always happy and cheerful, even though I know sometimes you come out here and cry alone because you don't want to burden anyone else with your problems," Kiba stopped, his expression turning scolding for a moment as he reflected on the last part. "You should though, because that's what friends are there for, to help you in your time of need... just like you always help anyone who needs help," he reminded her, knowing that Hinata probably never stopped to consider that. "And on top of all that... even though you're so, so, SO" he emphasized the last word, hoping it would get through to her and help her understand how wrong she'd been, "so beautiful on the inside, and that alone is more than enough... on the outside... you're … you're gorgeous," he whispered, bringing his mouth down next to her ear as he continued to hold her hands, squeezing them gently in his larger, rougher, manly hands. "Trust me Hinata... I would never lie to my best friend," he whispered, unable to trust his shaky voice with anything louder, as he hid his blushing face in her long blue hair. "There's nothing wrong with your body... everything about you... is beautiful."

At the time, Hinata didn't know the full meaning behind her teammate's words. She didn't know that Kiba hadn't just told her what she needed to hear, and she really had needed to hear that. She didn't know that he'd just confessed to her, mostly because he hadn't though he could make it any clearer that he loved her. But it didn't really matter. That day, his words had touched her heart; they reached her, made her feel special and loved. In days that followed, she realized he was right. And in the months, and years to come, when she married that feral-eyed man she came to love and who loved her back, the man who loved her body but more importantly loved her soul, Hinata knew the truth: she was perfect just the way she was.

**-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-  
THE END  
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**A/N** : I was going to end at Kiba's confession, but I realized I wrote the entire story in Hinata's POV (cos seriously I so need practice writing in the girl's POV... how sad, I'm a disgrace to my gender, I can only write in the guy's perspective hahahah), so I had to add in that last paragraph, it made it a little... off... but it's okay it gave it nice "and they lived happily ever after" kind of ending, so I'm good with that. XD


	7. From the heart

Naruto © Kishimoto

* * *

**From the Heart**

* * *

"I got nothing!" the feral eyed boy growled loudly, rolling over on his back; his head resting comfortably on the warm lap belonging to the white-eyed girl sitting beneath him.

Though he should have been feeling happy, getting to spend the whole day with his beautiful kunoichi teammate, the boy was anything but. Sure the company was great, and the cause for the time off was also great, but unfortunately, for a certain reason, Kiba just couldn't seem to enjoy himself.

"haah," he sighed, rolling over on his side, facing the oversized dog chasing dragonflies in the distance.

It wasn't all that often the Inuzuka boy got to spend a nice lazy day sitting in the forest, watching the leaves flutter in the wind, as his best friend rolled around in soft, moist grass. Even after the last ninja war, which had ended well over a year ago, there were still not all that many leisurely days. When the fighting had ended there had been a lot of reconstructing, a lot of missions to foreign nations in efforts to get money for the village; in short, a lot of busy work. In the last few months there had been hardly any time to rest. So the fact that Kiba finally had a day off, and best of all that he could spend it with his adorably cute Hyuga girlfriend, was a pretty big deal. But instead of enjoying the momentary peace and tranquility, the Inuzuka's mind was plagued with anxiety over what his mother had tasked him to do the previous night.

"I'm sure you'll think of something Kiba-kun," the timid girl reassured him as she ran her fingers through the fang-faced boy's unruly brown hair. It was a soothing gesture, which, under normal circumstances had the same effect on Kiba as a belly rub had on Akamaru. Unfortunately these were not normal circumstances.

"Agh! It's so frustrating though!" he shouted, jolting upright into a seating position, growling at the empty space in front of him, before realizing he missed Hinata's warm, loving touch and quickly moved back to resting his head on her lap. "The old hag is making such a big deal about this, she's invited the whole goddamned village!" He growled again, rolling over to his side, his head now pressed against the kunoichi's tummy, muffling his agitated groans.

Beneath him, Hinata remained silent, but Kiba could tell she was trying very hard not to laugh. With his face pressed against her stomach, however, it would have been difficult for him not to notice. He wanted to pout and tell her she was being mean, but the truth was even Kiba couldn't blame her. No doubt, he figured, Hinata was thinking it was silly of him to get that worked up over something so simple, and she probably wasn't wrong. But still...

"agh," Kiba groaned again, his nose pressing against her naval. Being that close, he was very tempted to tickle her; payback for laughing at him, even if she didn't mean any harm. But... "Well..." the Inuzuka exhaled deeply, his warm breath blowing against the white-eyed kunoichi's frilly periwinkle top. "I guess it's not every day something like this happens" Kiba sighed, wrapping his arms around the Hyuga girl's waist.

"No, it isn't." Hinata agreed, nodding her head as she continued stroking her fingers through his shaggy hair, the laughter in her belly no longer as obvious as it had been moments earlier. "And it is a very special occasion," she reminded him, not that he needed any reminding.

For over a month his mother had been nagging at him, telling him over and over how important a day it was. Not just for him, his mother said (though he was the one who did all the work), it was an important day for all of the Inuzuka's, especially for her.

"grrrrr," he growled. "Does she think nine-months makes it okay for her to take credit for every momentous occasion in my life?"

This time Hinata didn't hold back her laughter. Her skin against his face shifted up and down, as she giggled softly, holding one hand up, demurely covering her mouth. Again he wanted to pout and tell her he was being serious, but as Kiba rolled on to his back again, releasing his grip around her waist to see the blue-haired girl laughing softly into her hand, all words failed him.

Mesmerized by the sight of her, Kiba just watched as Hinata giggled to herself. Her eyes squinting so she couldn't see him, though of course she had to be aware of the fact that he no longer had his face buried in the soft skin of her flat belly.

"hmm," he smiled up, as once more he laid upon his back.

Kiba loved those little gestures, so small and simple, and very lady-like.

Hinata was unlike any other girl the boy had ever known. His experience with women, before meaning the blue-haired girl were limited to Inuzuka women. In his clan the women were strong, brutish, almost masculine in the way they behaved. It wasn't to say that they weren't all women - a fact which they often felt the need to beat into their men to remind them that despite how powerful they were, they were still gentle, feminine creatures- but the simple and honest truth was that Inuzuka women were a breed of their own.

Still, even amongst the girly civilian and kunoichi females, Hinata was special. She wasn't just any ordinary girl. She was a princess. And it wasn't just because she was the heiress to the most powerful clan in the village. The way she carried herself, her gestures, her soft-spoken nature, the way she moved... everything about her had a delicate gracefulness that was entirely Hinata.

"damn I'm lucky," Kiba quietly mused, rolling over on his side again and snuggling his head against her smooth soft skin once more.

"huh?" Startled, as if just realizing she was being watched, Hinata immediately stopped giggling. "Sorry," she timidly replied, giving the boy an apologetic look for having laughed at him. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, it's okay," he assured her, sitting up and adjusting himself so that they were now seated facing one another, his left hip pressed against Hinata's right, as Kiba took her hand in his and smiled warmly at the blushing girl.

There was nothing to apologize for anyway. Even Kiba had to admit he had been acting like a child. He couldn't blame her for laughing. "haaah" the fang-faced boy sighed deeply, before pressing his forehead up against the kunoichi's. "I've still got nothing."

"It's okay Kiba-kun," Hinata warmly replied, her pale white eyes looking deep into his brown ones. "Just say what's in your heart, and I'm sure it will all work out."

Little did the girl know, that those words would come back to haunt her, for the task his mother had assigned Kiba, and which he had been dreading all day, was to give a speech at his Jounin promotion party. A party which his mother had invited nearly the whole village to. And despite how confident and somewhat cocky the Inuzuka boy was, he absolutely abhorred public speaking. So when his girlfriend suggested he 'speak from the heart', Kiba did just that...

"...And then she closes her eyes and crinkles her nose, before a tiny little high pitched sneeze comes out, it's so freaking cute, I can't help but want to hug her," the newly appointed Jounin bellowed before the large group of friends and family that had come to congratulate him.

In a corner of the reception hall rented for the big day, trying in vain to hide the the amused crowd of party-goers, poor Hinata was blushing like she had never blushed before. For half an hour, her boyfriend had been taking about the blue-haired heiress, foregoing any mention of his promotion. For all his complaining about hating to speak in public, it seemed there was one topic the Inuzuka boy had no hesitation in speaking about, even if it was to large crowds.

"I swear I'm the luckiest guy int the world, to have such an adorable girlfriend," Kiba smiled proudly, puffing up his chest as he looked out into the crowd of smirking faces and giggling girls, searching for his beloved Hyuga princess.

* * *

**THE END**

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A/N : After working on this for a week, I kind of just gave up. I wrote about 1K words without knowing what the plot was, just wanting a simple cute scene with the two of these, but that ended up frustrating me to no end, so I just kind of wrapped this up and am through messing with it.

I'm actually INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTED in myself for this one... it was just a total fail... *sigh* not at all what I was going for... but well whatever, I got 2 good ideas for other stories out of it, so at least it served it's purpose of getting me out of my writers block. :sigh:

I hope you all at least liked it a little. If nothing else I think the cute hugging scenes were adorable.


	8. Cocoa Works Too Though

Naruto © Kishimoto

* * *

Why? Why was she so weak?

No matter how hard the Hyuga heiress tried, it seemed she was always the one needing rescuing. Always the one who had to be protected. She hated it. Hated her own incompetence. Hated how it made her feel. She was supposed to be from one of the most powerful clans in the village, if not the most powerful. And not only that, she was the heir to that clan, not that she would ever be the pride of the Hyuga, that was left to her cousin. Still, Hinata tried so hard, trained day in and day out. She worked her butt off with her team and with Neji, all in an attempt to be better, to be worthy. And what did it get her? Nothing! She was weak! Still always needing to be rescued, to be protected. And the worst of it was, that for that brief moment before the shame and regret came, Hinata felt happy. She actually felt relieved and elated to be rescued.

"Why?" Hinata softly whimpered as she sat alone in a small clearing just outside the campsite for the Second Division, remembering the earlier moments when her former crush had come to her rescue during an attack by the white zetsu. She was thrilled to see him, but devastated at the same time. It hadn't been too long ago that she had been the one to jump in front of Naruto in an attempt to try and rescue him.

Hinata had confessed her feelings, feelings that she knew weren't reciprocated, but had nonetheless been important for her to say. That moment had been one of the few instances of pride that the Hyuga girl had ever felt. She had summoned all her courage and faced her greatest insecurities, telling the boy she'd always liked how she felt. And even though she hadn't managed to do much, if anything, for him, Hinata felt proud of herself. She had done her best, and hadn't held anything back. Even afterwards when the battle with Akatsuki had ended and she knew, from that look on Naruto's face as Sakura came to hug him, that she had no chance, Hinata had still smiled and felt happy for him. She'd also felt happy for herself that she had had the courage to finally confess. But now all that was wasted, as she went back to being the helpless damsel who needed to be rescued by the boy. Even when she slipped into that self-deprecating moment, Naruto had had to rescue her from her own thoughts, her own insecurities. "I'm so pathetic," she sighed.

"Oi!" A loud booming voice startled the kunoichi and she jumped from the log she'd been sitting on. "That's my best friend you're talking about!" The shaggy-haired head of one of her teammates popped out from behind a tree before Kiba stepped forward with a scowl on his face and a cup in his hand. "You better take it back, or no hot coco for you!" he teased, smirking to let her know he didn't really mean it, before he walked up next to her and handed her the cup.

"Sorry Kiba," Hinata hung her head in shame. She knew neither of her teammates liked it when she did this. They knew her so well, knew her patterns. Anytime she fell into these moments of despair, Hinata would run to the nearest river bank and cry her eyes out, hoping the crashing water would drown out her sobs and allow her a moment to hide. For some reason, it was always Kiba who found her. She figured it was because he could smell her tears. It used to make her very embarrassed that she could never seem to hide from him, but some how the Inuzuka knew just how to ease her tension and make it not so bad. He was the first person she'd ever stopped stuttering with. Even now, she still stammered on occasion... but never with Kiba anymore.

"Wanna know a secret?" he asked, breaking the silence that had fallen upon them. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence though. The boy's voice was serious, something which wasn't very common with the playful Kiba, but when it happened, people listened. Hinata turned, her brow tense wondering what he was about to say, all earlier thoughts of her incompetence and fears completely forgotten as she focused on her friend. "We're all scared."

She didn't know what to say to that. It seems so out of the blue. Though obviously given their circumstances at the moment, it probably really wasn't. But why Kiba had decided to say this, at this precise moment, over a cup of hot coco, the young Hyuga girl couldn't quite piece together. She knew he'd come out from behind the trees to comfort her, but didn't understand why those words. He could have said any number of things. Why this?

"Even you?" Hinata asked, after deciding that it didn't matter why, all that mattered was he'd said it and he must have had a reason. But to hear Kiba, of all people, admit to fear, when he was so... the opposite of that. To her, Kiba was bravery personified... or perhaps mere boastfulness of forced bravery. But scared... that was something she never would have thought of the loud, fearless, adrenaline-loving shinobi. Never.

"Yeah," Kiba half chuckled, tilting his head to the side as he watched her take a sip of her hot coco. "Even me," he nodded. His gaze narrowed as he saw the look in her eyes, a mixture of disbelief and curiosity. "What? Do you really think I'm some kind of savage beast who doesn't know... you know what, never mind, don't answer that," he shook his messy hair, scratching the back of his head hard. "I'm human too, ya know?" There was a look in his eyes, like he wanted to say more, but didn't. Instead the boy just let out a deep, almost lonely sigh. "All of us are scared. Its war," he shrugged, as if trying to downplay the last part. It was funny, months before the war began, the word was tossed around a lot, but now that they were in battle, it was rarely said, almost as if it were a forbidden word. Because no one wanted to admit it, no one wanted to put a name to what was happening, and certainly not _that_ name. Because everyone knew what war really meant. "People die," Kiba's somber voice confronted the fear directly. That was why she thought of him as fearless. As afraid as everyone else might be, Kiba never let it hold him back. "Sure its a reality that all shinobi have to face," he continued, "but … it doesn't make it any more terrifying." He paused, letting the words sink in before continuing. "And we lose a lot of people. People we care about... deeply." As he said that last part, there was something in his eyes, something about the way he looked at her. But almost as soon as she saw it, it faded and his wolfish grin returned, and Kiba was once more that playful guy, smirking and joking around. "All I'm saying is... you're not alone. Everyone's a little scared. No one can take on the world. Heck, not even Naruto can do it alone, despite the fact that it looks like he's trying. He's fighting along side of everyone. And we're all relying on each other, and trying to get through this. Trying to hold on to something... anything that'll get us through it."

"Yeah," Hinata sighed, nodding before taking another sip of her hot coco. Maybe it was the coco, or the fact that Kiba had somehow put everything into perspective. Or maybe just having a friendly face there to comfort her. Whatever the case might be, Hinata felt a lot better. Leaning forward, the girl quickly pressed her lips to Kiba's fang-marked cheek and kissed him. "Thanks Kiba-kun, you always know exactly how to make me feel good again."

Blushing slightly while he scratched his other cheek with one finger, the Inuzuka boy grinned sheepishly as he turned to face the girl. "That's what friends are for Hinata."

She laughed softly, bringing her cup back up to her lips to hide her blushing face. "To scold you and bring you hot coco?" she asked, feeling a little playful herself after seeing that cute look on his face.

He laughed along with her, shaking his head as he brought an arm around the timid girl's shoulder. "Well that too," he nodded, "But most of all, friends are for helping you find your own way out of the dark..." he said in a meaningful tone, but then in a much less serious voice added, "Coco works too though!"

* * *

**A/N:** I'll be honest with you... not sure how I feel about this, but I was too stubborn to just drop it. After chapter 559, I just had to have some Kibahina. So I did this. But I've realized, I am so over the NaruHina into Kibahina angsty depressing stories. This is my last one. from now on, I'm only doing Happy Fluffy cute Kibahina! and that's that!

P.S. Kishimoto has to get over making Hinata so pathetic! I want her to be stronger!

*P.S.S. yes, it's Cocoa, but I did write this at 3am so... yeah... i'm too lazy to go back and change it right now.


	9. You like me

Naruto © Kishimoto

A/N : OMG! The last one I wrote took me a week to write! This one took me 2 hours! I love it! XD

* * *

Kiba didn't know when exactly it happened, but one day as he was walking through the forest with Akamaru, he realized something that should have been so obvious and yet somehow he had missed it.

"You like me!" the scruffy haired shinobi breathlessly shouted as he ran, full speed, straight up to the group of kunoichi sitting in front of the dango shop eating their sweets. Four pairs of eyes looked up at him, confused and slightly amused. None of them seemed to realize exactly who he was talking to, and as he tried to catch his breath, after having run from one end of the village to the other, the girls all exchanged concerned looks, wondering if perhaps there was something wrong with the Inuzuka boy.

He had said it in such a rush, however, that none of the four girls had understood a word of what Kiba had practically screamed in their faces.

The first to speak was the blue-haired girl, who, had she heard, would have been turning ten shades darker than she'd ever blushed before. "Kiba-kun... are you okay?" Hinata asked, standing up and stepping closer, looking down on the boy with great concern as he held his sides trying to inhale and exhale deeply to steady his breathing.

He really shouldn't have run as fast as he did. Though that wasn't really the problem actually. It was the fact that he had run, screaming, without taking a single breath, that had left him panting and almost doubled over with pain. But it just felt so good knowing what he knew. And he was certain of it too! Anyone else would have probably taken the simple gesture he had noticed as mere wishful thinking, but Kiba knew better. He knew the girl so well. For years, as she watched the blond would-be Hokage, Kiba had watched her. Every time she blushed, he fell deeper and harder. And every time she stuttered at the sight of that person... the fang-faced boy's heart sunk low. But she stuttered with everyone. Her stammer was part of her self-esteem issues, driven low due to her family situation. Over the years, it had gotten better. And now, she barely stuttered at all.

But she did. Except with Kiba.

"You like me!" the Inuzuka beamed, grabbing her hand and making sure the timid kunoichi, who was now blushing tomato red, couldn't run away.

"Huh?" Hinata gasped, trying to pull away but finding herself unable to.

"You like me!" Kiba repeated, straightening up and bringing his face close to hers. If he were a lesser guy, he would have kissed her right there and then, but that just wasn't him. Kiba didn't force kisses on the girl he loved. He'd make sure that their first kiss was the most special, romantic, passionate kiss that ever was. But before he could get to that, he needed to hear her admit it. "You do, don't you?" He asked, though not really in a questioning fashion.

Kiba was sure of the answer, he just needed her to say it, to admit it to herself, if she hadn't already. For so long the girl had pined for another boy, that it would certainly be difficult for her to move on or admit that she had feelings for anyone else, lest she feel that she would fall into the same unrequited love she had always known.

It wasn't uncertainty in Hinata's eyes that Kiba saw, but he could tell she was scared. He could only imagine that she was afraid of once more being rejected, or embarrassed in front of her friends. He mentally smacked himself realizing this probably wasn't the best of places to have done this, nor the best way in which to do it. But what was done was done. All he could hope now, was to repair the damage.

Releasing her hand, Kiba straightened himself upright. At this posture, he was much taller than the white-eyed girl, who had used to be his height, but once puberty hit, the Inuzuka had grown at least an entire head taller so that now he pretty much towered over her. He took a step back, giving her a little space, and cleared his throat before taking her hand, much more gently now, and smiling at the blushing girl.

And then... silence.

Not a word came out. He'd been so busy trying to find her after realizing she liked him, that Kiba had failed to consider what _he_ was going to say. She liked him. That was great. Especially since he liked her too. But... he'd never told her. Hell, he'd never told anyone he liked them. How exactly did people do that? Scratching the back of his head with his one free hand, Kiba turned his head upward and seemingly searched the sky for an answer. But there was none there.

"Jeeze, I never would have pictured him to be such a clumsy confessor," one of the other three girls sitting behind in the dango shop mumbled, though who it was Kiba didn't quite catch as he was too focused trying to figure out what exactly he was supposed to say.

"Kiba-kun?" Hinata called out to him. She was still blushing, in that adorable way that she did, but she seemed a lot less nervous than before, tugging at his hand to try and get his attention, and smiling up reassuringly, as if to tell him it was okay, he didn't need to say anything.

As he turned his eyes to face her, his heart felt like it swelled up to double its size and a huge goofy grin spread across his face. Without even thinking, he leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers and then, with a deep choked out sigh, said in a low, emotionally intense voice, "Gawd, I love you so much."


	10. How Long?

Naruto © Kishimoto

A/N : Just a short oneshot for Kibahina Month over at deviantart . com

* * *

"How long have you liked me?"

It was a question that had been running through her mind for a while now, but Hinata never dared to actually ask it. She wasn't even quite sure why she had now. Perhaps because it had been nagging at her lately. She had the most perfect boyfriend, better than anything the white-eyed girl had ever even dreamed she could deserve, and she wanted to know why. Why had he fallen in love with her? When had it happened? It was greedy and maybe a little selfish, but she knew he didn't mind. He'd already told her time and time again, that he wanted her to be more willful, to ask when she wanted something, to tell him when she felt happy or sad or lonely, so that he could feel those feelings with her too.

"How long?" Kiba turned his head, running a clawed finger up and down the fang-mark on his cheek in a rubbing fashion as he pushed himself up to a seated position. They had been sitting in a blossoming valley of wildflowers for the better part of an hour. Just a nice secluded place on the outskirts of the village that the Inuzuka had discovered one day while walking Akamaru. The moment he caught scent of the fragrant aroma and followed his nose to discover the blooming flowers covering the vast hillside, he immediately knew Hinata would like it and had brought her there that very evening, turning many times after. "hmm.." His brow furrowed as he thought. "I can't remember..."

"Oh," Hinata whispered dishearteningly. For some reason, she had expected Kiba to have an answer to her question. She wasn't expecting anything grand or special, just a story. A moment, perhaps, when they had spent some time together, and Kiba had just known. "That's okay," the blue-haired girl sighed deeply. It was enough that they loved each other now.

It was more than enough really. Hinata had been in love before, but it was nothing like it was now. Then, it had been more of a school girl crush than actual true love. But with Kiba, it was different. She didn't have to hide her feelings, or watch from afar. She didn't feel self conscious, or invisible. He made her feel special, let her know she was loved. How she had missed that he had feelings for her for so long, Hinata wasn't sure. She knew what that felt like. And it hurt her to know she had put him through the same thing she had had endure for so many years. But for how long?

"You didn't let me finish," Kiba replied, smirking as he saw the sudden blush sweep across the timid-girl's face. He knew it would be turning an even brighter red soon enough. Even though she was still as bashful as ever, Hinata had gotten used to being around other people and not blushing as much. But somehow, he knew exactly what to say to get her heart pounding, and make her cheeks flush, just for him.

"Well?" Hinata waited. What could he possibly have to say, she wondered.

Given what little Kiba had already said, the white-eyed kunoichi couldn't imagine he had much else to add. But the look on the Inuzuka's face, as he settled himself back down onto her lap, turning so that he was looking into her eyes as she began running her fingers through his messy brown locks, much like she had been doing before asking her question, told Hinata that he definitely had something to say.

"What was the question again?" he asked teasingly. She knew he knew and was only asking to get her to say it again.

It would have been unheard of months earlier for Hinata to ask such a bold question. Really, up until recently, she could scarcely bring herself to look Kiba in the eyes after his confession. It had been so sweet and endearing, but completely surprising. What's more, it wasn't quite a confession, but a declaration. He'd first confronted her, telling Hinata that she loved him. At the beginning it had been clumsy and awkward, and left her feeling more as if she'd been found out, than as if she were being confessed to. But once he realized how he was making her feel, everything changed. He told her he loved her and for one brief moment, the entirety of the world felt like it had come to a stand still, and all that remained was the two of them. Their eyes locked, and nothing more needed to be said as he pressed his forehead to hers and Hinata smiled up at him with tears of joy in her eyes.

Since then it seemed like every moment they spent together was just as special. Time didn't seem to matter much. The world rushed passed them, but the of them hardly noticed. Even in this moment, as the feral-eyed man smirked sneakily up at the blushing girl, reality seemed to encompass only the flower field in which they found themselves.

"Honestly," Kiba began again, taking one of his hands and bringing it around the back of the kunoichi's head. Gently he tugged, bringing her forward as a large wolfish grin spread across his face. And then in a low, husky voice, he said it again, but this time finishing his thought. "I can't even remember a time when I wasn't completely, and utterly, in love with you."


End file.
